Due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) strikes, the release status for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which will be the 16th and final movie in the DCEU, is now up in the air.
The sequel to 2018's Aquaman was originally supposed to hit the big screen on December 16, 2022. However, it was ultimately delayed multiple times and is now expected to be released on December 20 of this year.
Many major productions across the United States of America have been shut down indefinitely due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that are currently ongoing. Since the strikes could potentially last until the early months of 2024, many are concerned that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could be pushed back as well.
Aquaman 2 May Not Get Delayed
According to a recent report from Variety, Warner Bros. may not decide to delay Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom despite the ongoing writers' and actors' strikes.
The report detailed that Warner Bros. is potentially trying to move around some of its 2023 films into different release slots but that insiders have indicated that Aquaman 2 will not be one of them.
This comes as a bit of a surprise following a report in July that concerned fans by stating that the studio could delay the sequel to 2024.
With that being said, it seems as though Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is still set to release in theaters on December 20.
As this is the final movie in the DCEU, it is possible that Warner Bros. is aiming to get it in theaters as quickly as possible so that era of the DC Universe can be in the past and James Gunn's new DCU can be ushered in.
Could Aquaman 2 Still Get Delayed?
There is always a possibility that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could still be delayed.
With the number of times that it has already been pushed back, and especially the fact that the writers' and actors' strikes are still ongoing, it would not be a surprise if it did.
However, it seems as though Warner Bros. is confident that it can get the film out on time.
As previously mentioned, James Gunn's new DCU franchise is set to begin with Superman: Legacy on July 11, 2025. If Aquaman 2 does come out at the end of the year, that will allow there to be a bit of a one-and-a-half-year buffer between the end of the DCEU and the new DCU.
If Aquaman 2 were to be delayed again into 2024, that would not only put the release dates of those two films closer, but it would also cause the new DCU to feel more like an extension of the DCEU rather than its own franchise.
Other Warner Bros. movies, such as Dune: Part Two, are also reportedly going to keep their current release dates, so that makes it even more likely that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will come out on time.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to release on December 20.
